else in the city. but where did that wealth come from ? the copan valley, several miles wide, is watered by the copan river. today the fertile bottom lands near the ancient palaces of the elite lords are owned by a few wealthy families. on the hillsides, peasants try to eek out a living on inferior land. the archaeologists speculate that this same pattern would have existed in ancient times. by surveying the hillsides, they have discovered the homes of the ancient maya commoners. 3 meters and 80 centimeters. let's get it on the map. by mapping each house site, they create a picture of maya settlement. over two-thirds of the population, mostly commoners, lived in the hills far from the acropolis on the compounds of the elite who controlled the best lands. to confirm that the ancient residents of the hillsides were farmers, archaeologists employ new scientific tools. using samples of mud from a hillside swamp, a picture can be taken of agriculture thousands of year ago. each of these microscopic flecks o